Technology

'Fat Fingers' Blamed For Accidental Mobile Ad Clicks

7:19pm December 17, 2012

Robert Siegel and Melissa Block talk about Google's launch of a new type of mobile ad that aims to combat the "fat finger" problem. As the smartphone market grows, mobile ads have become more important to the tech giant, which makes most of its revenue through advertising.

Queue Listen Now

Science

'Instant' Looks At Polaroid's Land

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Writer Christopher Bonanos tells the story of analog instant photography and the man who invented it--Edwin Land, the scientist and co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Plus Flora Lichtman visits New York's 20x24 Studio to capture a super-sized Polaroid camera in action.

Queue Listen Now

Is It Possible To Create A Mind?

1:03pm December 14, 2012

Siri can make an appointment for you. IBM's Watson beat a human contestant on Jeopardy. But will they ever really think? Futurist Ray Kurzweil shares his thoughts on the nature of the brain and describes how biological and technological advances might augment the human mind.

Queue Listen Now

Eden Full took time off from her studies at Princeton University to work on her startup full time, after being selected for the inaugural class of the 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship.

Who Needs College? Young Entrepreneuer Bets On Bright Idea For Solar Energy

10:44am December 13, 2012

by Steve Henn

Eden Full dropped out of Princeton to found a startup company that brings the solar panel technology she invented to developing countries as part of a fellowship. The unusual program, funded by tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, gives young people $100,000 to skip college and focus on their work and research instead.

Queue Listen Now

FTC: Apps For Children Raise Privacy Concerns

10:55am December 11, 2012

by Martin Kaste

The Federal Trade Commission has released a report taking to task the makers of mobile apps for children. It says apps are not transparent enough about the personal information they collect. It's the latest sign the Obama administration is concerned about children's privacy online.

Queue Listen Now

Will U.S.-Made Mac Computers Start A Trend?

6:56am December 10, 2012

by Steve Henn

Apple's CEO Tim Cook made news by announcing the company will start manufacturing a line of Mac computers in the U.S. But Cook, like Steve Jobs before him, says the main reason Apple produces most of its products overseas isn't about price. It's about a lack of skilled workers in the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

In her series for The New York Times, reporter Louise Story says that the manufacturing sector — automakers, in particular — benefit the most from incentive packages.

Economy

A Thin Line: Economic Development Or Corporate Welfare?

8:59am December 07, 2012

In her new series for The New York Times, reporter Louise Story traces the complicated relationship between localities and the corporations they want to lure to their states, counties and cities to help promote economic growth.

Queue Listen Now

Documenting Tragedy: The Ethics Of Photojournalism

1:52pm December 06, 2012

When the New York Post published a freelancer's photograph of a man trapped in the path of an oncoming subway train, many photojournalists, editors and consumers decried the decision as unethical. Others argue that the photo was essential to the story.

Queue Listen Now

The new Microsoft Surface tablet on display after a press conference in New York in October. The Microsoft tablet goes up against products from Apple, Amazon and Google.

Which Tablet Is Right For You?

6:50pm December 03, 2012

For the first time, Apple's iPad has some competition: Google's Nexus, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and the Microsoft Surface. Tech reporters Steve Henn and Laura Sydell have been testing out the latest tablets this holiday season — and found that content is king.

Queue Listen Now

In an image from an Eye Tribe video, a man uses his eyes to play the Fruit Ninja game, slicing fruit in half as it appears on the screen.

Economy

In Eye Control, A Promise To Let Your Tablet Go Hands-Free

4:57am December 03, 2012

by Sidsel Overgaard

Forget touch screens and voice recognition. What if you could control your computer just by looking at it? Gaze-based interaction has been around for 20 years, but it may be poised to become more widely available — and affordable.

Queue Listen Now